Beauty & The Beasts (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

Deep, Dark, Sea -41-

Music...?

You slowly shifted, cheek rubbing against a wooden floor. Eventually opening your eyes, you look tilted your head up towards the source of the music. Almost instantly, you scooted deeper back into the shadows you found yourself in before your back hit a wall behind you.

In front of you was sailors, all men and wearing beige pants, white and navy blue striped shirts, and a red tie around their necks. Everyone seemed to be dancing and laughing, happily prancing around beneath the dark sky decorated in the bright, colorful flames of fireworks. The floor gently rocked from side to side. Were you on a ship this time?

Gulping, you gingerly peeked your head around a barrel, looking around the rim of the ship due to your current position. Suddenly, a flash a bright, vibrant red caught your attention. It seemed you weren't the only one peering out in secret.

A girl, young and beautiful, with big blue eyes was looking into the ship in amazement. A shaggy dog sniffed the air before running over to her and licking her cheek. Then someone whistled, catching the dog's attention. "Max, here boy. Hey, come on, mutt, whatcha doing, huh." The stranger asked with enthusiasm as the dog hopped up onto him.

He was a rather handsome man, young with black hair and sky blue eyes, smile framed by dimples. Handsome, sure.
Yet... you didn't feel anything in particular for him. He just seemed... boring. The perfect guy in a way.
But what's fun about perfect.

The girl seemed to have other thoughts. Her eyes became dreamy, letting out a small sigh paired with a smile before leaning on folded arms. Then, you came to a realization. How was she able to stay on the outside rim of the boat? She could have gotten stuck up there from some strange incident and yet, she hadn't called out for help once. Not even the slightest flash of panic in her eyes, even as she waved off a seagull who seemed to be talking to her. Wasn't she afraid to drown?

Suddenly a tall, slim man with gray hair and a large nose walked into the middle of the ship, several men carrying a large object dressed in a piece of cloth. The man cleared his throat. "Silence! Silence! It is now my honour and privilege to present our
esteemed Prince Eric with a very special, very expensive, very large birthday present." He announced as some of the sailors cheered in response.

The supposed prince Eric walked up, throwing an arm around the man with a smile. "Ah, Grimsby - y'old beanpole, you shouldn't have." He said. Grimsby nodded, a small grin on his face. "I know. Happy birthday, Eric!" He exclaimed before some sailors yanked the cloth off of the object.

You immediately cringed at the sight. Beneath the cloth was a large, stone, gaudy statue of Eric in a princely outfit, kneeling on a shield with a sword at his side. Weird. You looked over at the mysterious girl, wondering what her thoughts on it were. Unfortunately, she seemed completely enraptured with it. Weird, but okay.

Eric flinched away from the sigh, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. "Gee, Grimsby. It's, err, it's, err, uhh - it's really somethin'..." He mumbled nervously as his dog, Max you believed his name was, growled at it. The older man nodded, a proud look settling over his face as he stared up at the statue. "Yes, I commissioned it myself. Of course, I had hoped it would be a
wedding present, but..." He trailed off with a frown.

The prince spun around, slight exasperation crossing over his face. "Come on, Grimsby, don't start. Look, you're not still sore because I didn't fall for the princess of Glauerhaven, are you?" He questioned. The man sighed, lightly shaking his head. "Oh, Eric, it isn't me alone. The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right girl." He informed.

Eric sighed, perching himself onto the edge of the ship as the redhead below him hide away from view. "Well, she's out there somewhere. I just - I just haven't found her yet." He said calmly, hope crossing over his features. Grimsby raised a skeptical eyebrow while walking over to the prince. "Well, perhaps you haven't been looking hard enough." He suggested.